List of CHA men's ice hockey tournament champions

The inside of an ice hockey arena. An empty ice hockey surface is at the base of rows of spectator benches.
Dwyer Arena hosted the CHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament three times.

College Hockey America (CHA) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I ice hockey-only conference based in Detroit, Michigan that was formed in mid-1999 after the dissolution of Division II ice hockey.[1] CHA was originally a men's and women's ice hockey conference, but has been a women's-only conference since 2010 when Niagara and Robert Morris joined Atlantic Hockey, Bemidji State joined the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, and Alabama–Huntsville became an independent school.[2] After the completion of each regular season, it held the CHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament to determine its men's conference champion. In 2001, CHA commissioned the Bruce M. McLeod Trophy, named after its first commissioner, which was awarded to the tournament champion.[3] In 2003, CHA was granted an annual automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship for its tournament champion.[4][5] Before this, the only CHA team to have played in the national championship tournament was Niagara, which received an at-large bid into the 2000 tournament.[6] No CHA team won a national championship, and until 2009, Niagara was the only CHA team to have advanced past the first round.[7] In the 2009 tournament, Bemidji State became the only CHA team and 16th ranked seed to ever advance to the Frozen Four.[7]

Eleven CHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournaments were held during the existence of CHA. The tournament was first hosted at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama and was won by Niagara.[8] Bemidji State, Niagara, and Wayne State won the most CHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournaments, with three each.[9] Alabama–Huntsville and Bemidji State had the most championship game appearances, with six each.[9] Bill Wilkinson and Tom Serratore coached three championship teams, more than any other CHA coaches. Tom Serratore had the most championship game appearances as a coach, with six. Dwyer Arena in Lewiston, New York hosted the tournament three times, more than any other venue.[9]

  1. ^ Wallace, William (June 17, 1999). "Plus: College hockey—Division I; sixth conference to start in fall". The New York Times. Retrieved March 4, 2009.
  2. ^ Lerch, Chris (January 28, 2009). "Atlantic Hockey approves expansion: Niagara and Robert Morris to join". U.S. College Hockey Online. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  3. ^ "Commissioner Bruce M. McLeod". Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  4. ^ McLaughlin, Budd (March 16, 2003). "Wayne State heads to NCAA Tournament". U.S. College Hockey Online. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  5. ^ Scheerer, Mark (November 20, 2002). "College hockey: Notebook; no shortcuts in the rise of Colorado College". The New York Times. Retrieved March 4, 2009.
  6. ^ Pargas, Mark (March 22, 2000). "Colleges: Hockey notebook; The long wait is worth it for the Purple Eagles". The New York Times. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  7. ^ a b Borzi, Pat (April 7, 2009). "Bemidji State hockey goes from 16th seed to the Frozen Four". The New York Times. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  8. ^ "Niagara (NIA) at Alab-Huntsville (ALH) boxscore". collegehockeystats.net. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
  9. ^ a b c "CHA tournament". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved December 29, 2012.